Kenosha Public Museum facts for kids
| A Natural Sciences and Fine and Decorative Arts Museum | |
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Kenosha Public Museum in 2022
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| Established | 1936 |
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| Location | 5500 1st Avenue, Kenosha, Wisconsin |
| Type | Natural sciences, Fine arts, Decorative arts |
| Collection size | 80,000 (1,200 fine art pieces) |
| Public transit access | Kenosha Streetcar |
The Kenosha Public Museum is a cool place in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It shows off amazing things like beautiful art, decorative items, and natural science stuff. The museum first opened its doors in 1936. Today, you can find it right by Kenosha's lakefront.
Besides its many collections, the museum also offers lots of fun activities. You can join classes, see new exhibits, attend workshops, and enjoy special events all year long.
Contents
What Can You Explore at the Museum?
One of the most exciting parts of the Kenosha Public Museum is "The Wisconsin Story" exhibit. Here, you can see the real bones of a Schaefer mammoth! There's also a copy of the Hebior mammoth.
Discovering Ancient Mammoths
The Kenosha Public Museum has the Schaefer mammoth and two other mammoths from different places. The Schaefer and Hebior mammoths are super important. They show us the earliest known times that humans and mammoths lived together. Experts called archaeologists dug up these mammoths between 1992 and 1994. The actual Hebior mammoth bones are at another museum. But thanks to friends of the museum, Kenosha has a copy you can see!
Wisconsin's Past and Present
"The Wisconsin Story" exhibit also teaches you about Native Americans who lived here long ago. You can learn about when Europeans first came to Wisconsin. There's even a display of a Potawatomi village, showing how it looked in all four seasons.
Art and Special Shows
The museum's art galleries often change their displays. You might see art by famous artists or talented local artists. These galleries don't always have the same things. Instead, they host special shows. Past shows have included art by Rembrandt, amazing Inuit art, and traveling exhibits like "Sustainable Shelter."
A Look Back: Museum History
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The Kenosha Public Museum wasn't always in its current building. It first started in a beautiful old building. This building was designed in a style called Beaux Arts. It was built between 1908 and 1910.
Moving a Building
In 1933, something amazing happened! The entire building was moved, one foot at a time, across the street. It used to be the city's Post Office. But when a new Post Office was finished in 1933, this old building became the Kenosha Public Museum.
A New Home and Museum Family
In 2001, the museum moved into a brand new building. This building is very big, about 45,000 square feet! Its design looks like the glaciers that shaped the land around Kenosha. The Kenosha Public Museum is part of a group of museums. This group also includes the Dinosaur Discovery Museum and the Civil War Museum. All these museums are recognized for being great places to visit and learn.
